ALC Health Speeds up the Claims Process

February 3, 2010 – 2:02 pm

In attempts to help their corporate clients finalize filed claims, they are allowing them to be submitted via email as scanned attachments. This will greatly cut down the amount of time it would take for a claim to be fully processed because it cuts out the need to request original documentation by mail and it also allows the consumers to receive a response from ALC Health immediately after receiving the attachment. This way, clients are aware their materials have been received and the claim process is underway.

ALC Health Director, Andrew Apps acknowledged that few firms offered this option to their consumers and they introduced it to continually help reduce the stress that filing claims could have on their clients. A faster claim process not only keeps clients happy, it also saves them from having financial burdens like paying high cost medical bills while they wait for their claim to be processed. It makes having insurance more convenient and focused on the client which in turn is better for business.

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Banning Cell Phones Doesn’t Reduce Crashes

February 3, 2010 – 11:54 am

A new study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows that there has been no reduction in car accidents since the ban of hand held devices across the United States. The study included comparing insurance claims for crash damage in 4 US jurisdictions before and after the bans and found that the claims were the same as claim rates in nearby jurisdictions without the bans. Month-to-month claim rates in places with the bans did not change from before the laws were in place and the claim rates didn’t change in places without the bans.

These laws don’t seem to be reducing car crashes even though cell phone use while driving has decreased and studies showed that the use of cell phones while driving did increase the risk for accidents. “Whatever the reason, the key finding is that crashes aren’t going down where hand-held phone use has been banned,” Adrian Lund, president of both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and HLDI points out. “This finding doesn’t auger well for any safety payoff from all the new laws that ban phone use and texting while driving.” The new studies are not matching with the data from the older studies regarding the use of cell phones while driving. There has to be some sort of factor that is present in both cases of using cell phones and hands-free. One thought is that drivers are switching from using their cell to hands-free since there is no state that completely bans the use of cell phones and the risks are the same whether you physically are holding your phone or not.

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What to Avoid When Growing Your Business

February 2, 2010 – 5:30 pm

Growing your business is a constant process that business owners must deal with on a day to day basis. It takes patience and strong marketing skills to prove your place in the business world, let alone being able to continually grow over time. Instead of focusing on all the options that you should be doing, it is equally important to know the things you should NOT do when trying to grow your business.

First, do NOT be difficult to reach. How are consumers supposed to trust you if they can never find you? Your contact information should be clearly displayed on any form of marketing material including your website, flyers, posters and business cards. Contact forms are the easiest way to keep customers from coming back to your business. They are informal, take too much time and people like to speak to other people directly. Make it easy for your customers to contact you by publishing your phone number and email address information on a ‘Contact Us’ page on your website. Another important thing relating to being contacted, don’t hide from your customers. Its important to remain in contact with your clients, customers, prospects and business partners in order to establish relationships with them. Established relationships make your more approachable and trusting and allows you to understand others perspectives and understand what they need in order to provide better services to them.

It may not be so easy when it comes to growing your small business, but remaining out of contact makes your company seem small and unprofessional. Take advantage of the opportunity to make your company look larger and more professional and more will be interested in what you have to say and what you have to offer.

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New Agents Page at InsuranceAgents.com!

February 1, 2010 – 3:58 pm

The design team at InsuranceAgents.com has made their insurance agents page easier for agents to use, thus making it easier for them to benefit from all the service marketing tools InsuranceAgents.com has to offer. The new design was created to make it easier for agents to buy and manage their leads. Enhancing the sites usability impacts how agents learn about InsuranceAgents.com and the services they offer to increase agent’s business productivity. More agents can easily learn the benefits of our marketing tools and why our leads are the best in the industry.

The new agent site offers agents a new Agent Center, making it dramatically easier for agents to use their lead services. Expert tips also give agents the edge they need to close more sales and make more money. InsuranceAgents.com uses the best technology to enhance their agents’ all around experience and allowing them to buy live transfer phone leads through the agent center. The agent site still offers the Agent Directory where agents can create personalized pages with biographies and pictures so local consumers can reach them directly.

By using the best technology and producing the highest quality leads to our agents, our company has experienced great success,” said Seth Kravitz, CEO of InsuranceAgents.com. “Now we are pleased to be able to pass this innovative technology on to our agents so they can enjoy the same levels of growth.”

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Enjoy Your College Experience with Renters Insurance

January 29, 2010 – 2:41 pm

With the school year for high school seniors slowly but surely approaching, it might be beneficial for them to start thinking about their college living situation for next year. After all, once the summer hits, thinking about school will be the last piece of business on their minds. Most universities require their first-year students to experience campus life by shacking in their cozy dorms. Many students and parents fail to realize, however, that just like with any other residence, dorms can become victims of fire, theft and other types of damages. But for as low as $10 per month, students can ensure their valuables are covered should anything happen. And we all know college is nothing but trouble.

Dorms, regardless of whether or not they are associated with a university, fall under the same category as apartments, condominiums and other temporary living quarters. If you’re interested in obtaining an adequate amount of renters insurance for your child’s valuables in college, start by comparing renters insurance quotes online. In most cases, an adequate policy will consist of coverage for the following: laptops, televisions, video game consoles, iPods, cell phones, clothing, jewelry and musical instruments. With the amount of people that will be going in and out of your child’s dorm, the percentage of something being broken or stolen increases drastically on a college campus.

If you’re interested in obtaining a renters insurance policy but don’t know what kind of coverage to include, review the university’s master policy first. A renters insurance policy for a dorm oftentimes doesn’t need to be as comprehensive as one for an apartment or condominium does, so be sure to speak with a renters insurance agent to avoid overspending.

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SCHIP: Looking Out for America’s Future

January 26, 2010 – 2:15 pm

As the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 exemplified, the future of America depends on our children. By providing them with an extensive education and showering them with love, we are hoping to prepare them for the harsh realities of society. And thanks to SCHIP, or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, they will able to do so with quality healthcare protection.

Offered through Medicare and Medicaid, SCHIP is funded by a federal program powered to provide health insurance to children currently without coverage. Any uninsured child under the age of 19 is eligible for SCHIP, but many factors are assessed before a final decision is made such as a state’s guidelines and the applicant’s individual case. The benefits of being approved, however, are grand. Not only will SCHIP pay for a child’s immunizations and hospital stays, but it will also cover all doctor visits and emergency room stays. Thanks to the recent economic recession where millions of parents lost their job, affording quality health insurance not only for themselves, but their children as well, has been nearly impossible. SCHIP is looking to ensure that America’s future remains in good hands.

Parents interested by SCHIP should also consider other health insurance options. With a little patience and perseverance, you can guarantee your child receives ultimate health insurance protection at an affordable price. There’s not a better individual to point you in the right direction than a health insurance agent, so contact one today.

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Rule the Roads with Premier Snow Tires

January 25, 2010 – 2:32 pm

While the holidays are long gone, the snow is still falling and making driving a pain in the you-know-where. Snowy, icy and overall wintry roads are capable of not only breaking down your mental state, but your car’s tires as well. Fortunately, you and other fellow drivers can overcome this problem by obtaining snow tires. But what snow tires do you get and how much do they cost? InsuranceAgents.com helps answer these very questions…right here, right now!

Leading the pack is the Toyo Proxes 4. Tokyo’s ultra-high performance, dry-grip tire goes for $119 and just barely outshines the Falken Ziex ZE-912, which comes in our list at No. 2. This all-season tire is said to last for at least 40,000 miles and sells for $123 a tire. If you’re a truck owner who frequently visits slippery road areas, consider the Michelin Latitude X-Ice. This $128 studless truck tire has great snow traction and is often the highest-rated winter truck tire each year. Rounding out the pack are the Hankook Optimo H418 and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60. These two tires sell at $94 and $75, respectively, making them the most affordable tires on the list. Don’t let the prices fool you, however—both tires offer long-lasting performance for a variety of weather conditions on the road.

Snow tires keep your car at a lower risk for accidents throughout the winter, making your car safer to drive and lowering your auto insurance costs. If you want to continue sliding back and forth on the road thanks to your worn-out tires in the snow, be my guest. But if you’re ready to upgrade and be in control of your car, start looking into any of snow tires mentioned above. Trust me—your car will thank you for it.

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Happy Holidays from InsuranceAgents.com!

December 22, 2009 – 3:01 pm

Whether you are in sunny Los Angeles or snowy Chicago- the holidays are a special time to spend with family and friends and we hope everyone gets to celebrate this special time of year with the ones they love the most!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at InsuranceAgents.com!

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Renters Insurance for your Condo: Get everything covered!

December 18, 2009 – 4:24 pm

There are several perks to renting instead of owning, one being the lack of responsibility renters have compared to homeowners. When you don’t actually own the property or space in which you live, you don’t have to worry about structural maintenance and insuring your home for everything that could possibly go wrong. Luckily for renters, their landlord most likely owns a masters insurance policy that protects the structure you live in as well as any common living areas of condo buildings. What many renters need to be aware of however is that master insurance policies do not cover every little thing within the structure.

Necessary protections you need as a renter that is not included in master policies include content and liability coverage and external living expenses. If there is a fire or severe damage to your rented condo, your landlords policy will not cover your personal property, damaged caused to other people while in your condo or your living expenses if condo becomes temporarily unlivable while damages are being fixed. Renters insurance for condos is the protection you need to ensure you have complete coverage in case of fire, robbery or natural disaster damage to your condo. Accidents happen and the best way to ensure you wont face significant financial loss replacing personal property, your low cost renters insurance premium will be all you need to keep your mind at peace.

To find affordable rates on renters insurance, shopping online is the best place to start. You can compare rates and policies from reputable insurance companies in your area and even get connected to local renters insurance agents.

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Homeowners, Make a Christmas Safety Checklist

December 18, 2009 – 3:13 pm

It’s that time of the season. The time for holiday shopping, putting up the twinkle lights, and inviting family and friends over for a big festive feast. But are you sure your home is ready for a party like that? Do you have enough homeowners insurance to cover any mishaps?

No one wants to a perfectly good party to go to waste, but the holidays are busy season for insurers and when they see an influx of home insurance claims. This is mostly due to home fires—from dangerous décor or forgotten holiday dinners—or liability issues, if someone is hurt or their property damaged in your home.

Before opening your door to a dozen cousins, aunts and uncles, make sure your home is ready and safe. Not only could there be mishaps that ruin the night, but a load of claims will just make your home insurance rates go up, if the policy even covers all of the claims to begin with.

First homeowners should protect against home fires. The holidays are full of lit candles and flammable decorations, so be sure to practice extra caution. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Also, make sure that your home is protected against holiday burglars. Invest in deadbolts, a home security system, extra lighting—(a well-lit property is not a burglar’s friend)—and keep your Christmas presents hidden away (because they’ll probably try to steal your teenager’s new laptop or wife’s diamond bracelet first).

Guests can pose a huge liability risk around the holiday seasons. Make sure there is additional liability coverage on your policy—even if it’s just temporary for the holidays—to cover any and all medical and legal expenses or property damage.

The holidays are like a vacation, a time to relax and enjoy yourself. Don’t let home insurance mishaps ruin the festivities.

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